Audi will start in the Formula 1 series next season.
Matti Binotto was named the head of the Audi F1 project in 2024. Aop
In 2022, German manufacturer Audi confirmed the long-standing rumors of their joining the F1 series. Audi bought the entire Sauber F1 and said it would become a factory stable in 2026.
The next 12 months will be crucial for the Sauber stable as it is preparing for the new Formula 1 new rules and is preparing to become the Audi factory stable.
Audi manufactures the engine itself, which has proven to be more difficult than expected, says the project manager of the stable Matt’s binot Carport by.
– Making the engine is more complicated than viewers can imagine. Now we are heading towards a completely new kind of technology, and this kind of change is not easy, Binotto said.
The rules changes in 2026 will include significant reforms: the internal combustion engine and electric force must produce 50-50 rates, the complex MGU-H unit will be removed, and the fuel must be 100 % sustainable. In addition, the stables can choose whether to use electric fuels or biofuels.
Audi’s parent company Volkswagen has invested in electric fuels, which may bring an advantage to the AUTOSport. Still, the binotto does not expect Audi to be at the top of 2026.
“We won’t have the best engine, but we’re on the right track,” Binotto told the magazine.
The Swiss-Italian Binotto says he has heard rumors that Mercedes could once again be a great benefit from the power unit changes. The German stable is known to be ahead of others, and binotto warns that the changes can start another dominance season.
– In 2014, when a more important hybrid was introduced in the power unit, it was at the beginning of the engine championship because Mercedes had made a difference. It is a situation that can happen again.